


in which gotham academy is Terrible

by Acin_Grayson



Series: in which a boy is trans [1]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Artemis is taking exactly None of this shit, Gen, Racism, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2018-10-08 22:40:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10397772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acin_Grayson/pseuds/Acin_Grayson
Summary: Artemis was shouldering her way through a mass of jabbering students to her locker when she finally heard what all the hype was about.“Did you hear?” hissed one to those near her. “Grayson is a girl!”





	1. an asshole nearly gets his nose broken

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings for racist and transphobic language and behavior.  
> Also swearing and slight violence because a certain bat-sibling makes an appearance.
> 
> EDIT (8/10/17): i have been informed that the previous title was inaccurate and it's been changed  
> EDIT again: (9/24/17): i'm making more?? further installments forthcoming

Artemis was shouldering her way through a mass of jabbering students to her locker when she finally heard what all the hype was about.

“Did you _hear_ ?” hissed one to those near her. “Grayson is a _girl_!”

This surprised Artemis, as she’d recently seen the kid and was fairly sure he’d been a boy. Although... _Maybe he- she? –is making a transition?_ Artemis didn’t see anything wrong with that.

Then again, this _was_ Gotham's upper-class, so society’s expectations were a bit ‘different’.

_Idiots._

She recognized the ones in the center of the crowd as the upper-crust jocks; people like Nicolas Cadwell, captain of some elite sport Artemis didn’t bother to think about.

“I knew it.” One of them exclaimed, a sneer on his face. “There was always something wrong with that gyp.” They all laughed.

Artemis bristled at this, knowing just from their tone that it was a slur.

“Yeah, Grayson always was a little bitch” said that Princeton kid, cracking his knuckles.

“Maybe we should pay it a lesson.” Someone Artemis didn’t recognize, and there was a chorus of agreement and jeers.

Nicolas- a tall, blonde boy with parents almost (but not quite) on Bruce Wayne’s level of rich –spoke up. “She shouldn’t have tried to pass herself off as one of us. The tranny _deserves_ it.”

And it was suddenly clear to Artemis what was really going on. Richard was trans, and these utter _bastards_ -

Artemis _would not stand for this_. Her mother’s wishes be damned, she would fight every single one of these pieces of trash before she let them lay a hand on that boy.

It might not exactly be the same, but she knew what it was like to defy what you were seemingly born to be.

The archer was already letting her bag slip to the floor in preparation of breaking Cadwell’s expensive-looking nose when yet another voice piped up: “You talkin’ about that Grayson kid?”

They all turned to the newcomer; a younger teen, probably from the middle school section, who was about as tall as Artemis and sported a roguish look.

 _Great_ , Artemis thought, _another_ _one_.

“Yeah.” Nicolas smirked, apparently reaching the same conclusion she had.

The kid came closer, and it was then that the girl noticed the dangerous gleam to his smile.

Without warning Cadwell was pinned against the wall of lockers with a forearm to his throat.

No one dared move.

“I’m going to say this once,” the kid began, his voice an intense quiet, “-and _only_ once. If I _ever_ hear you assholes talking shit about my brother again I will personally _tear you apart_ , am I understood? _One fucking word_ and there _will be no body to bury_. Clear?” he glared for emphasis, earning a choked and undignified squeak.

However the enraged boy was not satisfied. He pressed a bit harder on his captive’s throat, repeating the question. “I _said_ ,” he began, voice tight with a restrained violence, “are we _clear?_ ”

Now he received a desperate nod.

Artemis could only watch in awe as the storm behind the middle-schooler’s teal eyes calmed substantially and he stepped back without a word. Cadwell collapsed, gasping desperately. There was fear in his eyes as he looked up at the younger male.

The volatile teen gently brushed some imaginary lint from his entirely unruffled uniform and looked over the crowd almost placidly. “That means all of you.” The pleasantness in his tone, coupled with the serene smile he flashed, was deeply unsettling.

With that, he left, the crowd parting to give him a wide berth.

What followed immediately were hushed whispers of ‘the Todd boy’ throughout the students and embarrassed screeching from Nicolas.

Hmm. _Todd._ Artemis made a mental note to get to know this boy, and his diminutive brother.


	2. Artemis is not here for your shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warnings** for more transphobia, classism, homophobia, and a slur or two. Gotham Academy's students are assbags.

Artemis spent the week after the Cadwell incident glaring threateningly at anyone who spoke ill of the Grayson kid or his siblings. (She had learned that Todd- first name Jason -was accompanied by boy genius Timothy Drake and a mysterious girl named Cassandra Cain. Wayne had a  _ lot _ of kids.)   
  
She only came to blows about it once, and the brat ran off with his tail between his legs after only a bloody nose.    
  
The only other memorable confrontation that came from her defense of Grayson, happened in the cafeteria, because  _ high school cliches _ .     
  
Artemis spent the majority of her lunch periods alone. Being the new girl, a scholarship kid,  _ and  _ a former attendee of Gotham North meant she was effectively cut off from her classmates. However, a sort of camaraderie had formed among some of the solo-sports athletes, so the archer had taken to occasionally joining that group at mealtimes.    
  
Table talk was sparse and usually related to ongoing competitions, so Artemis was surprised when one day it took a turn towards politics.    
  
They'd been joined by a pair from the tennis players- the leading doubles team, if she wasn't mistaken -and they were talking up a storm. Artemis wasn't sure how it turned from 'poor people are terrible for real estate' to 'fags are ruining the sanctity of marriage' but to be fair she'd been focusing on downing her ‘artisanal beef wraps.’ (Translation: tacos.)   
  
She found herself listening in fascinated horror as these elitist _ babies _ giggled along to snowflake jokes and comments about how  _ sinful  _ and _ gross _ homosexuality must be. She was pulled from her state of shock when the taller of the newcomers waves her hand and goes; "Don't get me  _ started  _ on those attention-seeking transgenders."   
  
"The only person I can see here looking for attention, is  _ you _ ." Artemis lifts her chin, shifting her posture to sit taller, challenging the other blonde.   
  
The other girl gaped at the  _ audacity  _ of it all, but her partner wasted no time informing Artemis of the fact that she's just some dumb bitch from the Narrows, so what does she know?   
  
Artemis lets the jab slide off; it wasn't as if she didn't hear that sort of thing in passing all the time. No, she merely lifts an eyebrow and sneers. "You all talk like you're so amazing with your silver spoons up your asses, but compared to trans people you're all weak as fuck. They fight battles in their own heads and homes every day, but you? You can't handle it when someone so much as _ disagrees with you _ , resorting to petty insults instead of actually formulating a response like a reasonable human being."   
  
With that Artemis lifts her tray and rises from the table, ignoring the wave of indignant scoffing and hissed slurs that follow her.   
  
She dumps what little remains of her food and drops the tray, then heads for the door, intending to spend the rest of the period in the library. However on her way out she spots a table with merely two occupants- a redheaded girl, and  _ Grayson _ .    
  
Knowing a good portion of the room has it’s eyes on her, Artemis casually made her way to the almost-empty table. "Mind if I join you?"   
  
The girl _ stares _ , and Grayson grins. He waves his arm in gesture to the empty seats around them and she takes a place opposite the two freshmen.    
  
"Artemis Crock, nice to meet you at last," Grayson says extending his hand.

Artemis gives the younger student a wary look, slightly off put by the fact that he  _ knows who she is _ without ever having interacted with her.

Grayson withdraws the hand, shrugging as if to say ‘fair enough.’ “I’m sure you know already, but I’m Dick Grayson. My…  _ Bruce _ is head of the scholarship program, and he runs the candidates by me fairly often. So, that’s how I know you. Already. Um.”

It strikes Artemis that, for all that this kid is suave on television, he is very very awkward.

And adorable.

"So,” he begins again. “What brings you to the table of two  _ lowly _ freshies like us?"   
  
Artemis takes a moment to weigh her options before giving him a flash of teeth. “Spite.”

The redhead suddenly looks much more interested. “Oh? Who are we spiting?”

“With luck? Half the school.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love my awkward bean.
> 
> Babs and Arty are gonna be great friends, just wait.
> 
> I'm so sorry this took so long I just kept editing and editing and trying to fix things that didn't need fixing and ugh. There are more pieces in the series I'm working on tho, so there's that to look forward to I guess?
> 
> Lemme know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> Looking at this it's a lot shorter than I thought it was.  
> Eh. It's a start.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> EDIT: welp this is a series now


End file.
